Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman
Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman is a direct-to-video animated film set in the continuity of , serving as a stand-alone sequel to Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero. It introduces the characters of Rupert Thorne and Batwoman to The New Batman Adventures. It was released on October 21, 2003. Plot A new hero has arrived in Gotham, but as the title suggests, her identity is a mystery—even to Batman. During patrol, the Dynamic Duo after spots her trying to stop one of Penguin's shipment on Gotham's interstate and apparently would use lethal force after seeing her using a plasma rifle sending Penguin's truck with its driver off the bridge. Batman and Robin saves the driver from falling to his death. Batman must figure out who Batwoman is and to stop familiar enemies Penguin and Rupert Thorne from selling illegal weapons to the fictional nation of Kasnia. At the beginning of the story, the two employ Carlton Duquesne, a gangster, to provide protection. Batwoman's main focus is on illegal activity by the Penguin, Thorne, and Duquesne. Despite taking the symbol of the Bat as a sign of justice, Batwoman sullies the Bat prefix by taking out criminals with ruthless and dangerous techniques. She seems uninterested in sparing the lives of her adversaries. Batman, with Robin, sets out to stop the Batwoman from making mistakes as she tries to take out the villains, and as he encounters numerous twists, setbacks, and apparent false leads in determining her true identity. The newest gadget on display is a wind glider used by Batwoman that utilizes some of the most advanced technology ever seen in Gotham City. Bruce Wayne, Batman's alter ego, also becomes involved with a new lady in his life: Kathy Duquesne, the crime boss's daughter. In addition to Kathy Duquesne, Bruce is introduced to two other women who, as his investigation continues into who the Batwoman is, seem to fall well into suspicion: Dr. Roxanne "Rocky" Ballantine, a new employee of Wayne Tech whose technology development is used by the Batwoman against the Penguin; and by Detective Bullock's new partner Sonya Alcana, whose knowledge of the weapons being smuggled by the Penguin and Carlton Dunquesne is much greater than the detective should know. With Carlton Duquesne unable to stop Batwoman's raids on the various facilities used to hold the various weapons, the Penguin calls Bane for additional support to ensure that there are no more losses as a result of the Batwoman. Not long after Bane's arrival in Gotham, it is revealed that there is not one but three Batwomen, all of whom were the women suspected by Batman; Kathy and Sonia met taking art classes at college and Sonia and Rocky were roommates. They had taken turns to remove suspicion on any one of the three, while using Roxanne's technological genius and contempt for the Penguin (who had framed her long-time boyfriend), Kathy's money and access to several key aspects of her father's organization (and desires her father's criminal career would end as it led her mother being killed), and Sonia's physical and police skills to ensure that Thorne's operation is thwarted (as the crime lord previously left her family in financial ruins after arsonists who worked for him burned down her parents' shop). Alcana was also saved by Batman nine years prior, the event giving the detective the original inspiration for the costumed identity she now shares with her friends. In the final confrontation, a ship taking the weapons into international waters for the exchange is destroyed by a bomb planted by Kathy. She and Batman narrowly escape the explosion despite the efforts of Bane, who is seemingly killed as he falls into the Gotham River. At the conclusion, Carlton agrees to testify against Thorne and the Penguin after saving Kathy's life during the ship's destruction, Kathy drives off with Bruce, Rocky's fiance is cleared thanks to evidence discovered by Batman, and the GCPD are left to assume that Sonia is the only Batwoman after she helps rescue Batman from the ship. Sonia resigns from the police due to the potential problems her presence could cause and decides to leave the city. Continuity * The events in this film take place before Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, even though Robin is portrayed slightly older here than in that film. * This film marks Rupert Thorne's only appearance since the revamp. * Sonia Alcana seems to have replaced Renee Montoya as Harvey Bullock's partner. Strangely, Sonia wears similar clothing: grey pants, black top, and a shoulder holster. * The conversation that Barbara Gordon has on the phone with Bruce explores the relationship between Bruce and Barbara; this notion was first introduced in the episode "A Touch of Curaré". Here Barbara is shown having romantic interests towards Bruce which makes him uncomfortable, also Tim and Alfred's lack of surprise implies this isn't the first time Barbara's made a pass at Bruce. * Bruce tells Penguin the last time they met, he stole plutonium from Wayne Labs and threatened to blow up Gotham City. This happened off-screen, presumably sometime before the revamp. Background Information Production Notes * In this movie, the Batsuit has received a slight redesign - all its black parts have received highlights, similiar to his design. Production Inconsistencies * During the fight between Bane and Batman aboard the S.S. Naiad Batman's leg is overlapped by Bane's face. * Kathy Duquesne's name is misspelled "Duquesnes" on the Bat-computer. Trivia * The bat symbol used by Batwoman (also used on Terry McGinnis's Batsuit and Justice Lord Batman's batsuit) is used by the current Batwoman in mainstream comics. * The Duquesnes live in the Tarnower Building, which was introduced in the episode "Mudslide". Cast Uncredited Appearances * Diaz * Jay, Lark and Raven Quotes External links * Movie Review on World's Finest * Movie Review on ToonZone Category:Feature Films